Dawn of a new era
Half of all carbon emissions are from buildings. Buildings built to current codes are sucking the groundwater out from under California. Graywater permits are part of an outdated system that focuses on microscopic risk as our species is engulfed by huge, emerging risks.

“On August 4th, 2009, California can legally install simple laundry and single fixture systems without a permit. For the first time, licensed professionals can legally help
with the 1.7 million existing graywater systems in the state. ”
–Art Ludwig, graywater researcher and educator

NBN Member Art Ludwig will be giving a press conference Tuesday August 4th, 2009 from 9:00 to 9:30 am, at the Santa Barbara Library Main Branch Downtown, at the start of his free, City of Santa Barbara-Sponsored workshop on Laundry to Landscape systems currently with over 100 registrants. Ludwig, who participated in the historic graywater code adoption meeting last week in Sacramento at the behest of the City of Santa Barbara Water Resources Division, will tell the story of this code’s process (which involved the biggest stakeholder meetings for any code promulgated by CA Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)). He will also discuss the significance of the Building Standards Commission’s historic shift from considering only occupant  safety to also taking into account off-site and future impacts of a building’s systems. (California Building Standards Commission (www.bsc.ca.gov) is currently revising California’s Green Building standards, another sea change).

A collision of world views was in full evidence at the July 31st hearing of the California Building Standards Commission that considered the CA Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)’s proposed new graywater standards. Emergency standards pertaining to new Graywater Standards for residential construction (EF 01-09)

In a hearing lasting all day, highly qualified stakeholders spoke passionately for and against the adoption of the new standards as the hearing roller-coastered  dramatically to its historic conclusion.

The commissioners are to be congratulated for their leadership.  It is always more work to set up a new system than to fit into an existing one.

It would have been a lot easier to stand aside as legal buildings continue to waste resources and pollute the environment.  However, in the face of deeply entrenched, powerful opposition, the commission is rising to the challenge of revising all of California’s building codes to allow/ require better building systems and besides its emergency approval of the new graywater standards yesterday, the California Building Standards Commission is also revising California’s Green Building Standards to include many new mandatory and voluntary measures to reduce negative impacts and increase positive impacts of California buildings.

RESOURCES
Media resources, links to how to educational materials for  the public http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/press/

BACKGROUND

On June 4, 2008 Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-06-08 proclaiming that a statewide drought condition existed and directed the Department of Water Resources (DWR)www.water.ca.gov/ to take specific action to counter the drought.

In 2008, Senate Bill 1258 (Ch. 172, Stats. Of 2008) was signed by the Governor enacting new statues in the Health and Safety Code(section 17922.12 and 18941.7) and amending existing statute in the Water Code ()Section 14877.1) These statutes, effective January 1, 2009, including requirements that directed the Department of Housing and Community Development(HCD) to propose to the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems for residential indoor and outdoor uses.

On Feb 27 , 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger issued a proclamation declaring a drought to be in existence and a state of emergency to exist in California. This proclamation was based upon the circumstances of severe drought conditions that by the reason of their magnitude is beyond the control of the services , personnel, equipment and facilities of any one local entity and requires the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat.

Existing Graywater standards contained in the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 24, California Plumbing Code, Part 5, Appendix G are based upon requirements for private sewage disposal. Theses standards have been found to be overly prescriptive and antiquated, and not readily usable by persons seeking to install graywater systems for the purpose of water conservation.

The graywater regulation revolution was started in 1989 in Santa Barbara, California. It spread from there to four other communities, then the whole state, via the Uniform Plumbing Code, in 1992.

The approach the commission has now adopted is being used successfully in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and soon Nevada, Montana, and Oregon. With this change, California is regaining its leadership role for graywater reuse.

Ojai, California

Cynthia Grier of EcoLogic Life, and Carolyn Marie and Jack Stephens of Wild Earth Village Builders, are providing a FREE educational presentation on these environmentally safe and healthy options for home and office remodels, renovations and new building projects. Natural plasters protect walls from wind, rain and fire. They provide a beautiful, durable and non-toxic finish for interiors and exteriors that revive old world traditions from Tuscany to Tokyo.

Learn how these ancient methods have been continued in modern Europe and Asia. Discover how limestone comes from the earth, is transformed into plasters, applied on walls and turns back into limestone. Learn how clays from our own soils can be transformed into finishes with beautiful colors and rich, sensuous textures. Lime and clay plasters can even be sculpted or carved to enhance artistic expression. Earthen plasters are easy and fun to work with, easy to clean up, simple to repair and are completely recyclable too!

This presentation will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2009, 5:30-7:00pm at the EcoLogic Life at 109 S. Montgomery St. in Ojai. This event is FREE to the public. The following Saturday, August 15^th, the three presenters will be teaching a hands-on workshop in Meiners Oaks (http://nbnetwork.org/2800).

CONTACT: Cynthia Grier: info@ecologiclife.com or 805.272.8098

Ojai, California

Instructors: Carolyn Marie, Jack Stephens and Cynthia Grier

Website: www.ecologiclife.com

Tuition: $80

You are invited to participate in a hands-on natural building workshop in Ojai, California! Details below…

WHAT: Hands-On Lime Plasters and Clay Plasters Workshop

WHEN: Saturday, August 15th, 9am-5pm

WHERE: 136 S. Arnaz St, Ojai 93023 (Meiners Oaks)

THE DETAILS: Learn the varieties and techniques of decorative and practical lime and earthen plasters. This course will provide an introduction to specifying, sourcing, mixing and applying lime and earth plasters and natural finishes over a variety of interior and exterior surfaces, both natural and conventional. The course will cover the basics of clay and lime, the use of locally harvested materials, a selection of natural finish products, pigments, additives and sealers. Participants will have the opportunity to mix and apply clay and lime plaster on both conventional and natural wall systems. The tuition is $80. Natural Building related books and other items will be available for sale – please bring cash to receive discounts on books.

WHAT TO BRING: hat, lightweight gloves, lightweight long-sleeved clothing, water bottle, notebook, pen or pencil, sample of clay soil from your property, plaster tools you may own – pointers, putty knives, large yogurt lids, large sponges, etc. Stainless steel trowels are best for lime. Bring them if you have them. Some tools will be provided.

DISCOUNTS: “Friends and Family Discount” – bring a friend and you both save 10% off the workshop tuition; Work/Trade: if you can help with tools, materials or work beyond the workshop (finishing the projects in the following days/weeks) we can offer some scholarships.

INSTRUCTORS: Jack Stephens & Carolyn Marie are partners at Wild Earth Village Builders. Jack is co-founder of the Natural Building Network. Cynthia Grier is the owner of EcoLogic Life green design center.

CONTACT: Cynthia Grier: info@ecologiclife.com or 805.272.8098

• The average size of a US house has doubled since 1949 to 2250 square feet. (Listen to a related NPR story here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5525283) or Read the Los Angeles Times article here: http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/topofthetimes/national/la-na-mcmansions23jul23,1,5997419.story?ctrack=3&cset=true
• In the next 50 years more buildings will be built than in human history to date.
• Since Lewis and Clark first reached the Pacific shore Americans have consumed nearly 80% of our old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. If this had not been stopped they would have vanished in 2006. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00384.x
• The average US home has 13,000 board feet of lumber (one square foot of wood one inch thick). This equals one football field of clearcut for each house. http://www.esf.edu/PUBPROG/house/default.htm
• The most effective strategy is for Americans to live in smaller, more space and energy efficient dwellings and businesses. http://www.resourcesforlife.com/groups/smallhousesociety/resources.htm
• 10-30% of our community landfills are construction debris and discarded buildings. http://peakstoprairies.org/p2bande/Construction/C&DWaste/whatsC&D.cfm http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris-new/basic.htm http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/sqg/c&d-rpt.pdf
• 30% of the money the average American spends on heating and cooling their home is lost through leaky ducts, windows, walls, ceilings, etc – $140 per home in 2006. Each year leaky windows alone cost an estimated $26 billion dollars currently. http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/fightfrost.html http://www.hubbertpeak.com/pimentel/bioscience/conservation/conservation.pdf
• The average American consumes 46,414 pounds of materials in a year. This includes coal (7,400 lbs), oil (6,420 lbs – the weight of 1,069 gallons of gasoline), natural gas (3,240 lbs – the weight of 72,000 cu. ft.), cement (902 lbs), iron ore (440 lbs), and clays (290 lbs). This is about 7 times the weight of the food eaten (2200 lbs). http://www.energybulletin.net/14143.html
• In the United States, approximately 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (almost 9,000 pounds) per person per year (about 17% of total U.S. emissions) are emitted from people’s homes – how long it stays in the atmosphere is debatable – from a dozen years or so to several thousand. http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_home.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gases
• According to GCL: Global Cement and Lime Magazine concrete production is responsible for 8% of the human contribution to greenhouse gas emissions as each pound of concrete produced adds one pound of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. www.propubs.com/climate/climate.html
• The National Academy of Sciences reports that 15% of the US population have some degree of environmental illness from cumulative exposure to carcinogens and toxins (many present in building materials and carpets).
• The California Children’s Environmental Health Protection Act notes the health risks of formaldehyde – a solvent present in clothing, upholstery, drapery, paints, carpets, cabinets, adhesives and cleaning products. (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/toxic_contaminants/pdf_zip/formaldehyde_final.pdf)
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency the average American spends 80% of their lives indoors and 30% of our lives in bedrooms.
• The EPA also reports that 90% of all regulated toxins are more prevalent indoors than out.
• The World Health Organization reports that 30% of all US homes contain toxic levels sufficient to create environmental illness. (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html)
• The Natural Resources Defense Council has reported that in the last 50 years 70,000 chemicals have been created that have never before been seen by the human body.
• Only 1,000 of those chemicals have been tested for effects on our nervous system.
• Only 100 of those are regulated in their use.
• 250,000 violations of those regulations are recorded every 2 years.

It’s the sixth year that the PeaceWeavers have hosted this family-friendly event at the Thunder Mountain Retreat Center near Bath, New York, offering very full days of teaching, learning, building, and networking. Top experts, authors, educators, innovators, designers, and builders offer hands-on experience and educational presentations with “close to the earth” building materials and lifestyle choices.

But in the end, there’s one really important thing that makes these events amazing. Sure, there’s all kinds of new, fun, valuable things to learn — tactile, hands-in-the-mud stuff that you just don’t get from the books or the internet. Sure, people can pick up tricks and tips to save precious days and months of misdirected time and effort, as well as thousands of dollars of misspent money, on their own projects and in their lives. Sure, there’s the great food, the beautiful natural setting, the music, and so much more. But in the end, the most rewarding and inspiring thing is the rare privilege of being with so many talented, smart, caring, willing, extraordinary people… some of whom just happen to be world-class natural builders, sustainable thinkers, and do-gooders. It’s the people — all of them — who come together at Thunder Mountain that are the best thing of all.

Website: http://www.peaceweavers.com/bws/

Ojai, California

Learn to build and sculpt with stone, sand, straw and clay as we begin an urban cob garden wall and bench over the course of two days. Hands-on portion will cover Foundations and Drainage; Soil Mixes for Walls, Floors, and Plasters; Use of urbanite and stone in cob wall systems; Building and Sculpting with Earth; Lecture and demo will include Windows, Doorways, Arches & Niches; Roof systems, including living roofs; Passive solar design; permaculture principles, and addressing local issues around natural building. $40 per day or $75 for both days. 10% discount for friends/family coming together. Instructors: Jack Stephens, co-founder of Natural Building Network and instructor with Cob Cottage Company, and Carolyn Marie, principal partner at Wild Earth Village Builders. Call 805-312-2002 for details and directions.